Energy production generally relies on the burning of fuels, whether in an automobile engine or in a power plant. Emerging problems such as fuel shortages and air pollution, however, necessitate a search for a more efficient use of fuels. Many approaches include a hybrid approach, wherein a combustion system is supplemented with mechanical power generated from electricity. Most of these systems rely on electricity produced utilizing regenerative braking. One such system is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,088 to Severinsky et al. wherein a hybrid vehicle is disclosed that possesses an internal combustion engine, a traction motor, a starter motor, and a battery bank. In such a prior art configuration, a hybrid brake system provides regenerative braking to power the traction motor.
An alternative form of hybrid system functions by converting thermal energy to mechanical energy. One such example is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,152 to Sterling, which discloses a thermal energy storage and conversion system that captures thermal energy from solar collectors, stores thermal energy in a first heated medium, converts a portion of stored thermal energy to mechanical energy by utilization of a heat engine, converts a second portion of stored thermal energy to a thermal energy sink by utilization of a refrigeration device, and stores a portion of thermal energy sink for use later.
Another example of such a system is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,525 to Endoh et al. that discloses a waste heat recovery system for an internal combustion engine including first and second raised temperature portions where the temperature is higher at the first portion than at the second portion. A first evaporating portion generates a first vapor from the first raised temperature portion. A second evaporating portion generates a second vapor from the second raised temperature portion and with a lower pressure than the first vapor. First and second energy converting portions of a displacement type expander converts expansion energy of the first and second vapor into mechanical energy.
Lacking in the current technology, as exemplified by the above systems, is a means for utilizing heat produced during combustion to create mechanical energy that can, in turn, be utilized by the system to improve fuel efficiency and provide supplemental power. Further, there exists a need for a system that can be implemented in a vehicle so as to maximize engine power and allow for improved aerodynamics of the vehicle by utilizing a smaller engine.